Snowy Eyebrows
by Aquatic-Idealist
Summary: This man was Zhuge Liang's sworn brother. He was renowned for his brilliance, and tried to secure peace in an era of chaos and torment. Yet, fate was just too cruel, and he found himself consumed. This is his story.
1. Snowy Eyebrows

Happy Chinese New Year!

I had wanted to wait 'till Blazing a Trail was complete, but I figured that this critical day needed a DW related update. So, here goes, the first chapter of a fic I've been itching to write. I hope you enjoy it.

**Author's Note:** If you're looking for violence, unfortunately the only battle that will be underway will be the Battle of Yiling. Otherwise, well, this is meant to take aspects of a historical life and mix it with elements from Boston Legal and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. If you came for political posturing, arguments, and the hilarity of debates gone totally wrong, then you've come to the right place.

Snowy Eyebrows

_"Ma Shi Wu Chang, Bai Mei Zui Liang"_, or _"Among the five sons of Ma, the smartest is 'White Eyebrows.'"_ - Ancient Chinese Saying.

Four rivers flow through the gorge at Xiang Yang, fusing into one. Alone, this resulting Xiang River brings a massive stream of water into the Great River. Without it the river would surely be much more narrow.

In the Ma clan, four sons were very talented, but a fifth showed signs of genuine genius. Only that single son succeeded in serving his country to his finest, and though his brothers tried to express their own talents, they proved to not have abilities anywhere close to their wise sibling: The young strategist with eyebrows white as snow. (1.)

Yet one of those four other sons often overestimated his own badassery.

"I am Ma Su, last son of the Ma house, smart enough to outwit any scholar alive!" A young boy yelled, running about the gardens of their estate.

The young man watching him facepalmed.

Ma Liang sighed. Ma Su was at it again. Would that kid ever learn?

The pair were the youngest among the Ma brothers. But Ma Su was the smallest, and tended to use that to his advantage. Because he was so little, the other four brothers tended to cut him some slack. True, he was small, and weak, and a whiney little devil, but he was young. He was stupid. They should not blame him for the folly of youth. That wasn't what wise, awesome older brothers did, after all.

But among the four older sons of the Ma clan, Ma Liang wasn't willing to cut Ma Su that much slack.

A war was brewing, and though most of the older brothers could sense it, Ma Su, for the most part, was still oblivious. He constantly bragged about his abilities while his older siblings grabbed whatever scroll on war and political tactics they could find.

And Ma Liang was among those 'older siblings.' These were hard times, and he would enter them prepared.

* * *

Thousands of people gathered before the mayor's compound.

It was time to reveal the results of the latest examination.

Several people, Ma Liang's older brother Ma Cheng being one of them, scurried and hopped over people in the crowd to find their scores or rankings on the posted list. (2.)

Ma Liang twiddled his thumbs. Sure, he was worried about his score, but he knew better than to compete with that stampede of people. He wasn't going to get himself crushed by their sheer, combined mass, no sir. As he tapped his foot, he heard the faint noise of a lute (yueqin, also known as moon guitar).

The strings twanged and the music flowed, and Ma Liang was impressed.

His eyes darted among the people who were smart enough to wait outside the mob. Who was playing that catchy tune?

And finally, those eyes rested on a man dressed in a white robe.

The musician sat there, with the yueqin on his lap. He wore a pair of old, shaggy sandals, and Ma Liang could swear that he was holding a feather fan with the toes of his left foot. Understandably, Ma Liang stared at the yueqin player with a confused look on his face.

The musician kept his eyes closed, and continued to play. His observer saw the musician move his head and upper body with the rhythm of the tune.

Ma Liang smiled. He knew how to play the flute, and thus it was great to find someone else that was also passionate about music.

Besides, the tune sounded familiar.

With some distant memory stuck in his mind, Ma Liang began to sing along:

_"On and on the great river rolls;  
The fragrance of flowers fades  
As the memories of heroes are smashed.  
Those dreams we had in our youth,  
Fade away with a turn of the head._

_Green Mountains stand high under bright sunsets.  
Fishermen and woodcutters find calm water on the docks,  
Watching the great autumn moon or feeling the calm spring breeze._

_We take our raw wine and drink to those heroes.  
Who knows how many lost lives,  
Were celebrated with simple laughter?_

_We take our raw wine and drink to those heroes!  
Who knows how many lost lives,  
Were celebrated with simple laughter?"_ (3.)

The musician immediately stopped playing, and looked up at Ma Liang.

"So you appreciate the song as well." He smiled.

Ma Liang nodded. "It brings out a lot of old memories."

"Hah!" The musician laughed.

Ma Liang exchanged his hand. "Ma Liang." He spoke his name with a smile.

The musician returned the smile, and grasped that hand. "Zhuge Liang." (4.)

* * *

1. Historical records state that only the centers of his eyebrows were white, but where's the awesomeness in that?

2. Countless people have no names anymore, and no one seems to care. The three older brothers of Ma Liang and Ma Su are among those people. I hereby plop the given name 'Cheng' upon the second son of the Ma clan, which kinda shows how much he sucks compared to his younger peers, but meh.

3. _Guen Guen Chang Jiang Dong Shi Shui;  
Lang Hua Tao Jin Yin Xiong.  
Shi Fei Cheng Bai Zhuan Tou Cong._

_Qin Shan Yi Jiou Zai,  
Ji Du Xi Yang Hong.  
Bai Fa Yu Qiao Jiang Zhu Shang,  
Guan Kan Qiu Yue Chuen Feng._

_Yi Hu Zuo Jiou Xi Xiang Feng.  
Gu Jin Duo Shao Shi,  
Dou Fu Xiao Tan Zhong?_

_Yi Hu Zuo Jiou Xi Xiang Feng!  
Gu Jin Duo Shao Shi,  
Dou Fu Xiao Tan Zhong?  
_  
Forgive my somewhat butchered Pinyin (can't check Pinyin like I used to due to some technological difficulties), but this is the famous poem that is associated with the Three Kingdoms. It discusses the Chang Jiang (Great River, or the river that made most of Wu's northern border and served as Shu's main lifeline), as well as the state of the peasants in those days. For the Television Series, it was converted to a song. Zhuge Liang plays the background music for the song while Ma Liang hums it.

4. Officially, the examination system began in Sui (AD 600s), but in the case of this fic I wanted them to have met through this type of situation (both waiting to see how they did), and have them later hang around with Sima Hui. Besides, at that time you needed to prove yourself as a scholar, and what better way to do so than use a test if you can't prove yourself through deeds? Who's to say that they didn't use some form of exam or so to screen out potential, popular idiots?

With all this said, thanks for reading, peeps. Stay tuned for the next chap, as I still need to complete Blazing a Trail first.


	2. Secluded Genius

This fic is my newest project, yet I find myself unable to update Blazing a Trail as fast as I anticipated, so here's chapter two while I work on finishing up my old project.

Chapter 2: Secluded Genius

Han was crumbling.

Because of this, many talented people who could make a difference found their paths blocked by mounds of rubble.

Dong Zhuo screwed the nation, to put it bluntly. He killed many a fine, moral man and raped many an honorable lady. He completely disrupted the Han imperial court, forcing those loyal officials who wanted to stay alive in hope of better days to flee, while a few more brave (or more likely foolish) officials stayed and were slain.

Men like Sima Yi hid in the shadows. It would be a fool's move to take Li Ru's path and serve such a pathetic man, yet it would also be pointless to cock the knee to a pathetic lord. Men like Zhou Yu had already found whom they were meant to serve, and to be honest several strategists wished they had such luck.

Several of the brighter boys of the bunch decided to hang around with Sima Hui, the man known as 'Water Mirror' among the locals of Xiang Yang.

Two of these men were the Sleeping Dragon and White Eyebrows, Zhuge Kongming and Ma Jiechang (Baimei). (1.)

But though Water Mirror had a reputation for being a peaceful man, the meetings in his home weren't always so.

"And I'm telling you that you're just going to end up an unemployed bum who begs for coins on the streets if you insist on your stupid poetry! Who the hell reads poems anyway, for heaven's sake? A man who truly knows what to do in life would try to prove himself on the battlefield, or settle some problem the mayor is having. Xiangyang's a major city, and if you can help clear up some of the mayor's headaches, then a bright future is guaranteed. Pah, you call yourself a scholar, when you're really just an idiot." Yin Mo scoffed at his opponent, Xu Shu.

Xu Shu laughed and waved his hand. "To that I reply: Why the hell are you here in the first place? Aren't you underperforming beyond what is humanely possible? Close your wide mouth for once and let your skull get a bit thinner. With Dong Zhuo in charge any attempt to get a post would only make everyone hate you, and sooner or later when the various lords get together to kill Dong Zhuo, you'll be collateral damage… At least that's what you'll want to think. Everyone else will consider you a traitor to the Han who deserved to die."

Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong exchanged amused glances. There really was no point in getting involved in such a stupid conversation. Ma Liang simply watched with a smile, as did Meng Gongwei and Shi Guangyuan. Everyone knew that Xu Shu had the right idea and that Yin Mo was reaching for the moon when he couldn't even touch a tree branch.

Yang Yi and Xiang Lang, two of the younger members of Sima Hui's club, started to talk in Yin Mo's defense. Xiang Lang started first. "Isn't it right for scholars to want to do whatever they can to help their nation and maintain order? Lord Dong Zhuo might not be following the correct path, but who can say if it's not Li Ru's inability to give him decent advice with which he can maintain order."

At that point Pang Tong had to say something. "If that's really the case, than Dong Zhuo's even more of an idiot than Yuan Shao. No, even worse, he's still evil for being willing to do those deeds. A man who can't make simple administrative decisions for himself is a man who's got to be one of the most incompetent, arrogant bastards alive if he thinks he can rule this land. I would give a standing ovation to the person who manages to cap that bastard."

"I object!" Yang Yi stood up.

Xu Shu and Pang Tong stared at the shorter man. "Eh?" Xu Shu blinked while Pang Tong just smirked.

"Dong Zhuo is Prime Minister. If you're so willing to see him dead then you must have no sense. He's the guy in charge, and he has Lu Bu on his side. Lu Bu could easily throw an elephant at someone as an attack if he wanted to. When you want to reach higher places, you have to use the shoulders of your higher ups as a way to get ahead. People like you, who are stuck with your stupid ideals of politics, have no idea how the real world works." Yang Yi stroked his chin.

Xu Shu stepped to the side and pointed his hands at the door with a bow. (2.) "Be my guest, oh wise one. Show us fools the way to glory."

"Are you mocking me? You son of a…" Yang Yi raised his fist.

"Enough! These are debates, not personal attacks. This is a scholarly meeting, not a bar brawl." Sima Hui spoke with a stroke of his beard.

Yang Yi and Pang Tong grumbled and sat down. Xiang Lang and Yin Mo glared at Xu Shu, who narrowed his eyes in kind. Yang Yi and Pang Tong began to slowly rise out of their chairs, and Sima Hui slowly backed off towards the wall of his cottage.

Shi Guangyuan whispered to Zhuge Liang and Ma Liang. "I think we'll be seeing a catfight pretty soon."

Kongming chuckled. "Fifty coins on Xiang Lang."

Ma Liang's eyes widened. "You're joking, I should hope. Xiang Lang's too scrawny to last against Pang Tong. Sixty coins on Shiyuan."

Meng Gongwei nodded. "I second that… No, Yuanzhi. He was a swordsman, after all. I call." (3.)

Shi Guangyuan stared at his money bag. "Guess I'm dirt poor. Five coins on Yang Yi."

The other three stared at him.

"What? We have to have equal opportunity." Shi Guangyuan smirked.

They all chuckled. "So much for equality." Kongming commented as Xu Shu and Xiang Lang charged at each other.

* * *

  
The battle was over, and Sima Hui mourned for his hapless cottage. Much of the rear wall had collapsed from the fighting, which had become an all out brawl.

Meng Gongwei found himself one hundred and fifteen coins richer as his three friends paid up. Xu Shu, having grabbed one of Sima Hui's pointing sticks, had successfully tripped his own "ally," Pang Tong, and had whacked the other two scholars out of commission. Xiang Lang had a better build than Xu Shu, that much was true, but Yuanzhi knew how to outflank his foe and smack him till he cringed. Yang Yi simply suffered a punch to the face by Pang Tong early on and remained unconscious the whole time.

From a distance Cui Zhouping strolled up to the cottage. He shook his head when he found it in ruins, and walked over to where Ma Liang, Kongming, and Shi Guangyuan were moping over their loss of coins.

"What did I miss?" He asked.

"Quite a bit. Pang Tong and Xu Shu got into a fight with Yin Mo, Xiang Lang, and Yang Yi. Xu Shu betrayed Shiyuan and came out victorious, while the others are either out cold or resting. Teacher's not amused, as you can imagine." Ma Liang sighed.

"Heh. Third time this week. I wonder how long it takes before teacher will finally give up and send us all packing." Cui Zhouping chuckled.

"Awww. Don't say that. After all, watching Pang Tong and Xu Shu pummel the other three every time gives one of us a chance to get some cash for once." Shi Guanyuan crossed his arms.

"You only say that because you spend most of your cash as soon as possible." Ma Liang laughed.

"Exactly! What's the point of keeping money around when you're not going to use it?"

"To buy a house, maybe?" Kongming shook his head.

"Hey! Living in a cave isn't that bad. It's nice and cool in the summer."

"And freezing in the winter."

"Yeah, but you can build a fire."

"That gets put out by groundwater."

"And, um, you get to yell and have your voice echo and such."

"Which scares all the bats and they come flying into your face."

"Shut up! Caves are awesome and that's final!" Shi Guangyuan snarled.

Zhuge Liang laughed. "I win. Period."

* * *

But slowly the years went by. Dong Zhuo was dethroned, and Cao Cao took his place. Yuan Shao was destroyed, and a man named Liu Bei fled to Xin Ye, a small town just north of Baimei's hometown.

Xu Shu had spotted Liu Bei first, and had offered his services to the man for a short time. Apparently, he found this Liu Xuande worthy enough for Kongming, so he referred Zhuge Liang to him. Kongming, realizing that Liu Bei had a lack of strategists, dragged Yin Mo along to help him, leaving the rest of his friends to watch as Liu Biao slowly weakened and as Cao Cao slowly advanced upon them.

But then Liu Bei was driven out of Xin Ye, and fled to Jiangxia, hoping that Wu would help him.

Zhuge Liang went to Wu, and Pang Tong, a native of Wu province, decided to go see how he was doing.

Ma Liang, knowing that staying in Xiang Yang might end up with him being captured by Cao Cao, decided to tag along.

* * *

1. Zhuge Liang's style name, Kongming, literally translates to Sleeping Dragon. As for Ma Liang, his nickname, Baimei, literally translates to White Eyebrows, hence this line. I will use these literal translations of their "nicknames" often.

2. He's giving a bow and pointing his hands and arms at the door like a person who's displaying his/her masterpiece… Both palms are up. I wish I could input pictures into fics for descriptions like these…

3. Shiyuan is Pang Tong's style name, and Yuanzhi is Xu Shu's style name. In poker, when you "call," you place the same amount of money as the bet that was placed before you, and you stay in the game (unless that amount was all or more than the money you had left and you lose the round.)


	3. Flinching Before the Inferno

Disclaimer: Some turbulence during writing this towards the end (which is also why this update took forever.) I apologize.

Chapter 3: Flinching Before the Inferno

He could smell charred meat and smoke all around him.

Standing on a hilltop near one of Liu Bei's encampments, Baimei shivered as he thought of the casualties that mounted after the battle.

Why was it necessary to watch so many suffer, knowing that you were the one who caused such suffering? How could Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang live with themselves, knowing that their actions caused so many to perish so horribly? It didn't make any sense.

Ma Liang knew Zhuge Liang well. He was his best friend, after all. He thought he knew Zhou Yu too, as the man seemed to be polite, humble, and a man of honor. Gongjin seemed like a very rite-abiding gentlemen, just like Kongming.

How, then, could either of them continue their lives unaffected by the suffering and death they had just caused? Was it even possible to be so nonchalant when one hears a thousand screams that you helped create? Such heartlessness... He did not think that Zhuge Liang or Zhou Yu were capable of such brutality.

Having had enough of the stench and flame, Ma Liang retreated into his tent, where though the tent flaps he sheltered his eyes from the horrors outside, and the stench of charred flesh still filled his nose as he tried to sleep.

* * *

Ma Liang sighed.

Again, conquest was what Liu Bei's army had accomplished. The provinces of Ba and Yi, collectively known as 'Shu,' were now in Xuande's control. But much had happened since the Battle of Chi Bi. In these four years, Zhou Yu had passed on, as did men like General Zhang Ren of Sichuan. Pang Tong, the strategist who claimed that he was far greater than Zhou Yu, was slain by a barrage of arrows at Luocheng.

Personally, Baimei felt that Pang Tong was rather arrogant. First of all, he had seen Zhou Yu in person. Few could match his sense of how the battlefield worked, how people felt, thought, and acted in certain circumstances, or how nations had to hold certain areas in order to ensure their survival. Gongjin was the sort of man who would never abandon any city, as there were people to protect and recruit in each, and every city had some sort of strategic or tactical value in one way or another.

But Pang Tong, contrary to his boasts, failed to administer Leiyang. Yes, he cared for the elderly and commoners well enough, but many facilities were damaged and unusable, and much of the region was far too underdeveloped for anyone to call it 'well-governed.' In sharp contrast, Zhou Yu, despite being a admiral, would never have allowed any city to remain so weak and structurally inferior. Pang Tong had proven that even in administrative work, which would have been the so-called inferior Zhou Yu's weaker point, it was he did not match Zhou Yu's talents in that particular area...

How, then, was Pang Tong superior to Zhou Yu if Zhou Yu would have done a better job in the area in which Gongjing was unskilled? That proved how arrogant Pang Tong was, and it seemed that even in battle, though Pang Tong succeeded in taking Shu, he lost his life in combat. Granted, any warrior might have suffered the same fate, but clearly it was Zhou Yu who made a greater accomplishment. Cao Cao was one of the most talented men of the day. Liu Zhang was one of the most overrated and foolish men of that age.

Zhou Yu beat both Cao Cao and Jia Xu, two of the greatest minds China had ever seen. Gongjin had even personally taken down a fine warrior like Cao Ren, and had made fools out of so many of Cao Cao's finest warriors besides. Pang Tong just defeated Zhang Ren, and reports stated that even then Zhang Ren had bested Pang Tong tactically, only failing in the final stroke. (1.)

Ma Liang could only chuckle. In the end, Pang Tong was nothing but arrogant words and a mediocre strategist. Zhou Yu was a far greater warrior, tactician, and even strategist at that. (2.)

But since Pang Tong had been lost, Kongming had to take Shiyuan's place...

* * *

They laughed for what seemed to be the very last time. That is, if everything did not go well.

"Baimei." Kongming clinked his goblet against his sworn brother's as he chuckled. "It's up to you, now. Guan Yunchang is a fine general, but he can be rather rash and cocky at times. You'll have to keep him in line for me. Once we've stabilized the Shu region, I'll have another take your place... I have someone in mind and I believe he may very well join us and accept that post."

Baimei smirked. "You always think forty steps ahead, but you have seen how men like Zhou Yu and Pang Tong calculated and failed... What makes you so certain that your time won't be up either?"

Kongming smile broadened. "Because, unlike Zhou Yu, I actually put countermeasures in place at least four moves in advance. Zhou Yu was not careful enough. He was slow, and thus he lost. As for Pang Tong..." At that Kongming sighed. "Why are you smirking?"

Ma Liang's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. "Oh, right... Shiyuan..."

Kongming tilted his head. "I'd expect you to be far more mournful, he was our friend, you know."

Ma Liang frowned. "Shiyuan always spoke so highly of himself and what he would do, but in the end he proved inferior to the very men who he disrespected and taunted. It's sad, really, to think that someone who seemed to have such potential proved just how mediocre he was."

Kongming's eyes narrowed. "So now you would judge a man based on his so-called usefulness? What happened to you, Baimei? You've changed."

Ma Liang shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Shiyuan had his funeral. Shiyuan got what he wanted: now he is credited for wresting Shu from Liu Zhang's control, but it's time for us to look back and analyze him properly. If we let our personal emotions for him blind our reason, then some will be misled into thinking that following Pang Tong's path is the right thing to do.

"We have to think of others beyond our circle of friends, Kongming. Each of us have become influential people, well, those who are serving Shu anyway. Some people are easily misled by the thoughts and actions of their heroes. Don't let some promising young men think that Shiyuan was right in what he did."

Kongming's mouth was sealed shut. "Your words sound cold, but I sense a greater warmth in them. So you think of more than just Shiyuan when you talk about him, but what do you think of Shiyuan as a whole? Are you just discarding the times you spent with him?"

"Of course not. If that was the case then I'd really deserve to die for being so cruel. I mourn for the fact that Shiyuan walked that wrong, arrogant path, and I still wonder how it would have been had he been wiser. Shiyuan was our friend, and for us to forget that is a sin, but when I think of Shiyuan I think of the Great Sage's old words: 'There are some from whom you ought to learn from: follow the paths of certain men, and learn to not follow the path of others." Shiyuan's arrogance and lack of following through with his words is a clear example of the latter. Youth should learn not to be like him in that regard." (3)

"I see."

"I'm depressing you, aren't I?" Ma Liang frowned.

Kongming shook his head and smiled. "On the contrary, without a friend like you life would be rather dull."

* * *

To govern a province under Guan Yu's jurisdiction was rather irritating, to say the least.

After all, the man only spoke of war!

Baimei shook his head. How could any sane person possibly want to witness that carnage, that brutal wave of screams, flames, blood, and agony? How could anyone enjoy watching the demon of war destroy so much of what Heaven had spent ages to create?

But Guan Yu constantly spoke of how Wu was evil, and how they, as dogs obeying the howls of the wolf Sun Quan, would one day destroy everything the men of Shu believed in. Yunchang claimed that, one day, Wu would march into Shu with Wei at its back, and Han's last stronghold would fall before those rabid beasts.

Ma Liang didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

It was true that Wu wanted what was best for itself, and that they were not loyal subjects of Han by any means, but that did not mean that they were evil. The citizens of Wu were well cared for: practically everyone had enough to eat, there were several young men who were not drafted into the army, and great cities thrived within Jiangdong's borders.

The same could not be said for Han.

In Shu, tens of thousands of people, peasants and merchants alike, were starving from the recent war with Liu Zhang, and many in the north were suffering further from their campaign against Cao Cao. Hanzhong was recovering. Chengdu had barely recovered. Shu's countryside still had the pained groans of farmers filling the air.

Thus, if Wu cared for the people so much better than Shu did, then they couldn't possibly be pure evil, right?

Yet that logic was lost upon the warrior, and Ma Liang decided that talking to Wu would be the best way to get him out of this jam.

* * *

Lu Meng was all smiles when they met.

"Of course, Ma Liang of Xiangyang. Wei is our common foe, and we can only destroy it if we are united in our cause. You can rest assured that Dong Wu will do whatever it can for Jingzhou."

"For Han." Baimei corrected him.

"Of-of course." Lu Meng stammered.

A bead of sweat trailed down Ma Liang's back. This did not seem right...

Zhuge Jin, Xu Sheng, Lu Xun, and others within Wu were honorable men. They knew what tactics to use or programs to follow in order to benefit everyone and they would tend to implement them.

Lu Meng, however, had a strange glint in his eye... Something didn't seem right, and Baimei felt a little disturbed as he stared at the warrior before him. Lu Ziming was plotting something, and Ma Liang did not want to be in his way.

* * *

He'd been appointed as ambassador to Wu.

They were nice people, and he didn't mind the appointment. Kongming had finally stabilized the region, and now they were preparing to move out once again...

And yet, somehow, Ma Liang felt that Wu, or at least certain elements within Wu, could not be trusted...

Lu Meng... Was Shu destined to face Wu because of that warrior?

Baimei gulped. Soon Shu's great strength might be crushed if Guan Yu were to die in Lu Meng's hands.

The question is: Who would believe him?

Knowing that he was alone in this prediction, he could only sit and wait for the end.

* * *

1. Heh, the novel states that Zhang Ren crushed Pang Tong tactically, killing him in an arrowstorm. Here, I give Pang Tong some more leeway by making him win in the end, though in novel terms that's technically Pang Tong's strategic victory (the fall of Shu) too.

2. Tacticians win battles, Strategists win wars. Granted, many aspire to be excellent in both roles. In the comparison between Zhou Yu and Pang Tong, Gongjin is far more talented as both roles.

Shiyuan is Pang Tong's style name. Gongjin, as one should know, is Zhou Yu's style name.

3. Confucius is the 'Great Sage' mentioned here. In layman's terms his saying is like this: "Learn how to do things from some people, and how not to do things from others."


	4. Politics is Bovine Dung

I apologize in advance. I had intended to follow Phoenix Wright and Boston Legal's examples and make a semi-humorous fic for your enjoyment, but after some analysis I have realized that it is an impossible task. Baimei's tale is far too sorrowful to fit that premise. I should have gone with Jiang Wan, but people likely have no idea who he is around here, and I don't care about him enough to write a fanfic on him.

The hurricane will come very soon. I don't consider the swirl that started the hurricane to be that strong, but it is coming. The next chapter will be relatively sorrowful, for Baimei's tale is not so bright. I guess I was silly for thinking that it could be somewhat humorous, eh?

Chapter 4: Politics is Bovine Dung

Ma Liang gulped. As ambassador to Wu, he had to talk to its various officers. Now this task wasn't so hard, had Lu Meng not been among those officers.

He could not trust Lu Meng, not one bit. Sure, they had talked before, and Lu Meng had _acted_ friendly. But, as with all things, politics was mostly an act.

Zhuge Liang had advised him: "Baimei, you should probably write a letter or something to Sun Quan if you're so worried that seeing Lu Meng in person would get you killed."

Kongming added a chuckle, as though he didn't believe Lu Meng to be such a threat.

Though Baimei followed that advice, Sun Quan still demanded to see Shu's envoy. It was a courtesy, after all, that envoys meet the rulers and not just send them letters as though they didn't care enough to come in person. It would leave a bad taste in the ruler of Wu's mouth if the diplomat from Shu didn't bother to meet him.

So, shivering as he entered the tiger's den, Ma Liang of Shu went to meet Sun Quan of Wu.

Thanks to Heaven's kindness, the first face he met was Gu Yong, at the Wu citadel of Jiujiang.

"You've come a long way from Sichuan, haven't you? Here, have a seat." The other strategist offered Ma Liang a table among the southern scholars.

"Thanks, Yuantan. I really appreciate it. The road from Baidicheng was especially stormy."

"Yes, it seems like the weather has been rather uncooperative as of late. But, don't worry, I'll make certain that you make it back safely."

"Thanks again... But don't you have some work to do out here?"

Gu Yong waved his hand. "Pah, no need to worry about that. It's not like I'm the only administrator Wu has lying around." He smiled.

Ma Liang breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Yong nodded. "You must be tired. I'll fetch my lord for you."

As Gu Yong left, Ma Liang rested a little easier in his chair. He had heard that Lu Meng was stationed at Jiangxia, close to the road back home. As long as he stayed away from Jiangxia, he should be fine, Baimei reckoned.

But then Ma Liang's eyes widened as if he'd been asleep. For Gu Yong to fetch his lord was to have him take a journey of four days to reach Jian Ye and back! That would be very rude of Ma Liang to let him take such a journey.

Rushing out of the guest room, Baimei rode his steed to follow Gu Yong.

* * *

His horse's hooves slammed against the dirt road as he rode after the other minister.

And after a few hours, he found Gu Yong savoring a bowl of noodles at a small stand by the roadside.

Small shops like these were not so rare. Wooden bowls and noodles were easy to make, and traders, merchants, and various travelers tended to move about in East Wu. It would be a wise decision, then, to open a little noodle shop on the side of any lengthy road. Heaven knows that one would have plenty of willing customers.

Gu Yong and his bodyguards seemed surprised to see Ma Liang come in alone.

"Hmn? Did something happen, as a guest I had instructed the handmaids there to take care of you."

"It's not that, Yuantan... Isn't Jian Ye some distance from Jiujiang? As Shu's envoy I should be heading there myself. There was no need to trouble you."

Gu Yong smiled slightly and shook his head. "There was no need to come..." His eyes began to darken slightly, and he frowned. "You do not understand, it's far too dangerous for you to come."

"Eh?"

The Wu minister lowered his voice. "Several of my colleagues have had a different outlook on the current situation. If any of them heard me, I'd likely be apprehended for treason. At any rate, General Lu Meng has been amassing his forces at Jiangxia. His influence has made many of our soldiers consider Shu to be our enemy. You'd have been safer had you stayed at the guest room in Jiujiang, where my men could have protected you from Lu Meng's. But anyway, stick with me and we'll reach my lord's palace in the capital, where you can speak to him directly."

Ma Liang nodded with a shocked expression. So he was right: Lu Meng was up to no good.

The question was, would he make it out of here alive?

* * *

Sun Quan frowned. He had received a report from General Lu Meng that preparations were underway to retake Jingzhou, a province that had been stolen from Wu. To have this Shu minister enter his court was exasperating, to say the least. What? Were they going to ask for a longer lease on property that they stole? Did the men of Shu have no shame?

Ma Liang bowed, knowing that Lu Meng would not have been able to be this way if he did not have some kind of support from Sun Quan. If he could get on the young ruler's good side, there was a slim chance that he could convince Sun Zhongmou that Runan, and not Baidicheng, was a better place to conquer... If Wu's strength could be directed towards Wei...

No, first he had to befriend Sun Quan, then the rest would come on its own.

* * *

"Greetings, minister of Han. I did not expect your arrival at this hour. I heard that your forces recently took Hanzhong. That is a rather impressive accomplishment, and I am impressed by the skill of your comrades." Sun Quan smiled.

Ma Liang smiled as well, knowing that both Sun Quan's and his own were fake. "Fa Zheng is indeed a genius of our times. His strategies would clearly decimate any invader."

"It's amazing how the men of Shu have such faith in each other."

"Of course! Such faith comes from knowing that we are all so strong."

And as both men laughed, beads of sweat came pouring down Gu Yong's back.

"This isn't good... If I keep this up I'll make a foe out of this tiger." Ma Liang thought as he spotted Gu Yong from the corner of his eye.

"But there's no doubt that men like General Lu Su are matches for any foe." Ma Liang added.

"Indeed, and General Zhao Yun is a legendary warrior. I doubt any comparable commander will appear in the next one hundred years. Of course I have Zhou Tai and Cao Cao has Zhang Liao, but Zilong is truly a hero of our times." Sun Quan nodded, accepting Ma Liang's attempt at patching relations.

Gu Yong let out a sigh of relief.

"So, if I may, what is the purpose for your visit?"

"Well, Lord Sun Quan, as you know, Lord Cao Cao has always had his eyes set on the south. Ever since he failed to defeat Zhou Yu at Chi Bi, he has made plans to conquer us both. Before I arrived here in Jiangnan, I felt some animosity from some of the military officers in your command. I wanted you to know that Shu is very open to an alliance with Wu. Only together can we crush the forces of Cao Cao and achieve peace for us both."

Sun Quan thought for a minute. Lu Meng had told him that Sichuan would be theirs if the Marquis of Wu consented to disregarding Lu Meng's own mobilization of troops. Lu Meng obviously planned to conquer Shu, and with Shu in Wu's grasp Wei would have to face a united force. But, with Ma Liang asking for an alliance, Lu Meng would be unable to continue with his plan.

Then again, Sun Zhongmou could so very easily agree to this alliance, then inform Lu Meng that Shu could throw her might at Wei instead of Wu, and thus Wu would lose few men when Wu conquered a weaker Shu (who would doubtless pit most of her forces against Wei and thus be unable to make a successful counterattack). That was also a great strategy that Sun Quan could use.

Ma Liang also thought to himself: If he could get Sun Quan to agree to this alliance, he could likely talk to those in Wu who supported an alliance with Shu and have them arrange to be commanders of Wu's western front, thus making a bureaucratic barrier that Lu Meng would not be able to easily break through. With that, he could delay Lu Meng's plots and perhaps prepare a counterplan.

This was all a series of risky moves, but having Wu as an official ally was better than having Wu charge at Shu with all her might. If Wei were to take advantage of the situation and team up with Wu, or, if Wei did the worser thing and plunged into Wu as she charged at Shu, both nations would fall.

* * *

Sun Quan asked Ma Liang to stay at the guest house, as he'd "think about it."

Ma Liang didn't need to be told twice.

Gu Yong told him that he'd deploy some guards to watch over the Shu advisor, but Ma Liang declined. Such things might get Gu Yong himself into trouble.

So, alone in the guest room, he felt rather paranoid. Lu Meng could try to kill him now to destroy the alliance, and then blame it on an avalanche if Shu threatened to do anything. Then, after letting Shu distract itself with Wei, he'd strike and Shu Han would be gone.

He heard some laughter in a nearby room. If Lu Meng was going to kill him, he'd might as well satisfy his curiosity and see what that was all about.

Peeping his head in the doorway, he found three men sitting together cross-legged around a weiqi Board. (1.)

"You should have made a one space jump here to try to outflank me... Your attempt to block my push was rather futile. Know the terrain, as they say." A middle aged strategist pointed at a spot on the board.

"Huh..." His opponent muttered. He looked like a commander, what with his brass helmet.

Ma Liang narrowed his eyes. No doubt the strategist before him was Lu Fan, the man who convinced Sun Ce to seek his own destiny. Lu Fan's opponent, however, was a person Baimei did not recognize.

Lu Fan caught Baimei's eyes, and called out: "Ma Jichang of Xiangyang? Welcome. I did not expect to find a man of Shu in these parts."

Ma Liang blinked. He knew that several scholars knew him by his reputation, but to recognize his face...

Lu Fan seemed to read Ma Liang's mind. "Oh, ha ha. I saw your portrait once among the other portraits of Shu staff, so I recognized your face. The artist was quite talented to draw it so accurately."

Ma Liang chuckled. "I see. That's an interesting game you have there."

The three other men laughed as well. As Ma Liang approached them, he finally recognized the two other men with Lu Fan.

Lu Fan's opponent was none other than Xu Sheng, a commander in the Wu army, and the man watching their game was Ding Feng, a commander who seemed inseparable from Xu Sheng.

"It would be less stressful for me if I actually had a chance." Xu Sheng chuckled. "Say, Jichang, I heard that you once played a game with the great general Guan Yu, while he was having surgery, and he was so focused on the game that he didn't feel a thing! You must be strong... Could you help me out, here?"

Ding Feng snickered and Lu Fan sighed. "Stop asking for outside help, Wenxiang, unless you want me to call _my_ teacher."

"Oh, god no! Never mind that, Jichang, never mind." Xu Sheng waved his hands.

Ma Liang smiled. "Calling me Baimei is fine. I'll just watch the game if that's ok with you. If I'd have the chance to play winner..."

"Which would definitely be Lu Fan..." Ding Feng joked.

"Hey!" Xu Sheng hissed while Lu Fan played his next move.

* * *

Xu Sheng and Ding Feng had some significant influence in Wu's army, and Lu Fan was a respected tactician. Having more friends in a land where a lot of people were out to kill you was always a good thing, do Ma Liang was glad that he'd spent time with them.

With so many people sheltering the Shu strategist, Lu Meng could do nothing to get rid of him. Since Ma Liang was fully aware of what Lu Meng was planning, Ziming prayed that no one would believe Ma Liang. It would be the only way for him to keep his alibi of simply restoring Wu territory to its so-called glory as the land recovered from the battle of Chi Bi.

And, as one might expect, Lu Meng got his wishes.

* * *

"_NO ONE KNOWS MY PAIN!"_ Liu Bei screamed upon hearing of Guan Yu's death.

It was Lu Meng who killed Guan Yu, and it was Lu Meng who shattered any hope of an alliance with Shu.

Gu Yong and Xu Sheng had successfully gotten Ma Liang back to Shu, but with this betrayal it was obvious that this act would hardly be enough to keep Wu safe. Now, Lu Meng had brought Shu's wrath upon Wu's head, and those two officers knew that they may very well die if Ma Liang couldn't convince Shu's forces to spare them.

It would be a futile battle, really. Both factions fought for human good, whether that good be the good of the Han Dynasty and its servants or the good of the people of Jiangdong and Jiangnan. Yet now virtues would collide because of the greed of a particular general and his lord.

Ma Liang gulped. He was ordered to convince the Nanman tribes to send reinforcements for the Shu cause, and thus he had to summon the great warrior Shamoke...

But would this be an easy task, or would he get crushed by a tribesman's club?

* * *

1. Weiqi is the Chinese name for the boardgame Go. I will use the name 'Weiqi' to keep a consistency with the fic's setting.

And no, fellow Go players, I'm nowhere close to a 20 kyu. I'm a beginner who happens to have heard of advanced go strategy thanks to my teacher being a 1 Dan (which as you know is still rather low on the totem pole). I'm not sure what my Kyu ranking is, but I'm sure it's rather low. I'm still learning, so bear with me if my strategy sounds preposterous! :P


	5. Melted Snow, Burning Hills,

Chapter 5: Melting Snow, Burning Hills, and Shattered Friendships

Spring, it is a season where life rises from the cold soil after the cruel frost of winter has passed.

Yet, in the spring of 222 AD, death's hand began to encroach upon the lands by the Chang Jiang's riverside.

With the death of Guan Yu, the Shu army was insistent on avenging their loss and destroying Wu utterly.

To combat this threat, Sun Quan sent Lu Meng, who died from a mysterious illness before he could be deployed. It was as though fate wished to punish him for causing pain within his own nation along with betraying the trust that so many from both lands placed on him. Lu Ziming died before he could continue his mischief.

With the death of Lu Meng, few were willing to let Lu Xun take the reigns. Xu Sheng was also ordered to stay back, as Sun Quan did not trust one who would go against his designs, even if those designs had led to this horrible situation in the first place. The younger brother of Sun Ce certainly did not want any who would question him to be allowed to face the enemy... For Heaven's sake, they might actually be the ones who'd betray him!

Baimei, for his part, had succeeded in recruiting Shamoke to their cause, and with Shamoke in Liu Bei's ranks the First Emperor marched out to conquer Wu. Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun had both passionately declared that Xuande was wrong for such a decision, but the Emperor of Shu Han cared little. Ma Liang had personally told several of Shu's main officers that Guan Yu was likely to get caught in Lu Meng's snare, but few believed him until now. Having been ordered by the Emperor to accompany him on this expedition, Ma Liang hoped that he wouldn't be meeting his old friends in Wu.

But spring became summer, and the Shu army had bat away several flanking attempts by Wu's proud army. It was as if Liu Bei was knocking mosquitoes aside as he charged for his prey: the man known as Sun Zhongmou.

When Zhou Tai attempted to cut off Liu Bei's supplies and trap the invader within Wu's own turf, Xuande ordered commanders Wu Yi and Li Yan to make a combined assault directly in his face. With Wu's soldiers terrified at Liu Bei's determination, they lost morale when they saw their foes charging at them like a pack of bulls. Alone, Zhou Tai knew that he could not withstand the stampede... He had grown old, yet the fowls in his care were still very, very young.

* * *

Liu Bei's armies continued to plow through the lands of Wu.

And, thus, Lu Xun rose to stand against the Shu Han Emperor.

Among the warriors who remained in Sun Quan's court, Xu Sheng stood to join Boyan.

Men like Han Dang, old veterans of Wu, and younger warriors like Zhu Ran joined the fray as well, eager to prove that either their old muscles had not rotten over time, or that their new ones were just as mighty as their older colleague's.

With valiant young and old men swelling up his ranks, and with Liu Bei choosing to stay near the most horrible of terrain, Lu Xun knew that he'd win this battle.

* * *

Ma Liang knew that something was wrong.

This was summer, and with the scorching heat plants would burn very easily. Trees, grass, heck, especially grass, no plant matter could be trusted when fire reigned over earth and wood.

And yet, with a complete disregard for the natural elements, or even for the ways of Heaven and Earth, Liu Bei set up his chain of command in the worst place possible. He established his supply lines in an area where they could easily be burned to nothing. Clearly, Liu Bei was a suicidal tactician.

Baimei shivered. He had to contact someone, fast. Darting back to his tent, he began to compose a report to Zhuge Liang...

* * *

"How is this possible?! Whoever made this plan ought to be executed for attempting to destroy the shu army! Tell me, Baimei, who did this?!" Kongming thrust Baimei's map of Liu Bei's formations back at him.

"... It was our lord."

Zhuge Liang's eyes widened. "How... How could he...? Baimei, why did you leave his side? If he's this stupid, he'll need you in order to survive..."

"I felt it best to deliver this report myself, for otherwise there would be too great a delay in our communications."

Zhuge Liang sighed. "Quickly, get back to our lord's camp and try to evacuate as many people as you can... If those of Wu have learned anything from Zhou Yu's death, it's that being slow can be incredibly fatal. It's likely that they've already defeated our forces... Hurry!"

Ma Liang nodded, and sped out the door.

* * *

The smell of fire filled his nose.

Blinding smoke filled the air, nearly choking him to death.

The Emperor staggered through the ruins of his camps, through the bodies and wreckage that surrounded him.

And, for once in his life, Liu Bei was truly afraid.

In the past, he had his wits to save him in lands where he could find support.

But he could find no such solace here.

He was an invader, in a land that could not accept the light of Han, and in this land those who he conquered were now eager to kill him. Lu Xun destroyed his army, leaving him and all his subjects bare...

It was a crisis indeed.

His men, or what was left of them, scampered to him. "My lord, we must evacuate quickly." Wu Yi called to him over the cackle of the flames.

"I will protect our rear, and kill those damn dogs of Wu!" Fu Tong growled.

Liu Bei nodded weakly. "Yes, General Fu, you do that... I... Am so tired..."

Wu Yi nodded. "My lord, just come with me, and we will make it to Baidicheng. There we can regroup and prepare to avenge ourselves for this defeat. One day, Wu will fall to Han's glorious might."

"Yes... Indeed she will..." Liu Bei nodded again.

* * *

Shamoke fell before the arrows of Wu.

So, as Ma Liang attempted to return to the frontlines, the tribesmen of that former chief ambushed him.

"You! You call yourself a strategist, and you let our chief get killed! What do you think we are, servants for your Empire?! We're the Miao, and we're our own nation! We're allies, but you treat us like pawns! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

As they advanced upon him, with their clubs and bows, Ma Liang bowed. "It was indeed regretf..."

But before he could even finish, they pounced on him from twenty directions, and one could hear a cry and a crack of bone.

* * *

He could not move, yet he heard the Shu army rumble past.

It wasn't possible for him to be conscious, and yet he was alive...

The pain... He could hardly bear it. He was no warrior, and yet this was one of the worst battles in which his nation had fought.

"... Heaven... Did you truly wish to mock us all for our failure to stand together?" He groaned.

"Is this how we're supposed to end? Lu Meng destroys the bond we shared, and Emperor Liu Bei marches upon Wu, smashing through her forces, but loses everything when he makes an absolutely idiotic error?"

"I... I refuse to accept this fate..." Baimei tried to get up, but felt a searing pain in his sides. Looking down, he could only see red cover his whole uniform.

He smiled slightly. "Maybe fate would have been kinder had we all wore the same uniform... Maybe our strength lay in unity, not in division... Heaven has punished us for failing to see what truly matters against the tyrants of Cao."

It was at that moment that he heard the gallops of horsebeats.

"It's an enemy officer! He's down!" A shout. Wu had found him.

"Cease fire!" A familiar voice called.

"Xu... Sheng...?" He blinked. Looking up, he saw the eyes of a friend.

"Get a stretcher, quickly!" The Wu commander ordered, frantically waving at a soldier behind him, who nodded and scampered off.

"Why...?" The strategist spoke wearily.

"You'll... You're going to be fine..." The warrior gulped, seeing his friend so badly battered.

"No..." Ma Liang waved his hand weakly.

"What?"

"Don't... This body is far too broken... I'm done for..."

"But..."

"You can use me... As a... Tool for peace... I'd... Appreciate... At least that much..."

"Baimei..."

"In life... I failed.... As a diplomat... Perhaps I... Can actually succeed... In death..." With that, he closed his eyes with a smile.

"Jichang!"

At least he wouldn't be an abandoned corpse in a sea of bodies... At least he died in the arms of a friend.

* * *

Gu Yong and Chen Zhen sat at opposite ends of a table. (1.)

"We lost Lu Meng and countless soldiers, officers, and civilians to this conflict. You lost General Guan Yu, Fu Tong, and quite a few... Others..." He gulped.

Chen Zhen raised an eyebrow. "You seem... Sorrowful... At this..." He shook his head at the awkwardness. "Why is that so?"

"If Zhuge Liang were here, he'd understand."

"Stop beating around the bush."

"We found Master Ma Liang, Baimei of Xiang Yang."

"What?" Chen Zhen's eyes widened. He had never been close to Ma Liang, but hearing the name of the Prime Minister's close friend and their diplomat to Wu was not a good sign indeed.

"He died from severe trauma to the back and sides... We believe he was ambushed by vengeful tribesman. Your loss of Sha Moke broke the alliance, did it not?"

"Indeed, but... For Ma Liang to be lost in action because of that..." Chen Zhen was at a loss for words.

"Let us end this conflict now... Wei is our true enemy, not each other. If we continue to fight like this we will both perish under her arrows and blades."

"Indeed..."

"Ma Liang was a close friend of mine... He taught me.... He taught me how to be tactful and friendly. In spite of the fact that he was deep in unfriendly territory, he treated those around him with respect. That's not easy to do..."

"... Then, for his sake, let's stop this bloodshed. We've both lost too many already."

And, with that, they shook hands.

_Fin_

* * *

1. Chen Zhen was one of Shu's more noted diplomats. Due to Gu Yong not being of a particularly high rank, I felt that Chen Zhen was a good counter. I originally used Fa Zheng as the one to speak with Gu Yong (and it seems that I have one hit so one of you might know this), but Fa Zheng was dead by this time, so I replaced him with Chen Zhen.

* * *

I apologize. I thought that Ma Liang would make a great story, but perhaps he, too, was overhyped thanks to Luo Guanzhong and his Shu bias. You'd think that Ma Liang was some great genius, especially with the old saying that I started this fic with.

In the end, he did not do that much, though unlike in this fic he was able to impress Sun Quan into holding him with great reverence. I really hope this fic has done Baimei justice, but that's for you to decide, reader.

Thanks for sticking around. I will continue with Xu Sheng's tale, Answering the Call, after this, but I think that I'm about to end my journey in fanfiction pretty soon. I'll finish up my incomplete fics and likely add one or two more lengthy ones before it's over.

Thanks again, and take care.


End file.
